


Snuffed Out

by ClearlyUnrelated



Series: Unwritten Futures [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Loss, F/M, Prequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:07:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22684444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClearlyUnrelated/pseuds/ClearlyUnrelated
Summary: Sometimes life gets a whole lot worse before it starts getting good.Prequel to My Embrace
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Reader
Series: Unwritten Futures [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1554877
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	Snuffed Out

_Today_

_8:46pm_

_Sunshine: Coming home from the grocery store_ _ᕕ_ _(_ _ᐛ_ _)_ _ᕗ_

_Me: Not you too…Tai has been blowing up my scroll with these new “emojis” all week._

_Sunshine: We have to keep up with the times! For all we know little baby Branwen is going to be a genius with one weakness of only communicating through emojis!_

_Me: Uh huh. That sounds about as likely as Yang letting us cut her hair._

_Sunshine: Tai would agree with you on that one, if he was here to see it._

_Me: Are you alone?_

_Sunshine: Yeah, it took a lot of convincing to let him let me go out on my own. That man acts like I’m about to break every time I get up, and I’m not even that far along!_

_Me: For once I agree with Tai, you should have let him come with you._

_Sunshine: Oh Qrow don’t you start too. Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I’m made of glass now. Plus, if someone tries to start anything I’ll just use my new motherly powers to fight them off (_ _ง_ _•_ _̀__ _•_ _́)_ _ง_

_Me: Alright (Y/N), just…please be a little cautious, okay?_

_Sunshine: I always will be when I know I have you to come back home to_ _J_

_Me: Still can’t believe I managed to catch someone as amazing as you. Can’t wait to be home. I have to go soon, love you._

_Sunshine: I love you too! See you in a couple days._

Qrow smiled down at his scroll. Even though Salem had been stopped awhile ago and Remnant was entering a new era of peace there always seemed to be something going on, not that he minded. It felt nice to still help the world even if an immortal ex-wife wasn’t there anymore. Oz would have agreed with him if he was here. The thought made his chest ache, but at least he could have some solace in knowing that his old friend was resting easy now.

While Qrow was very apprehensive to leave you at home he would always have that huntsmen spirit in him that compelled him to help others, and a few extra lien never hurt anyone. Sadly this meant that he would be away for a couple days and frankly it was hard being away at such a sensitive time in your lives. You weren’t due for many more months, and while his absence meant the absence of his semblance too he couldn’t help but worry.

~~~

_Today_

_9:30pm_

_Me: Hey (Y/N), how many groceries are you picking up? It’s been like two hours since you left._

_9:42pm_

_Me: Helloooo Remnant to (Y/N). Did you forget to turn on your ringer?_

_9:54pm_

_Me: Did you stop by your house? I’ll leave the key under the plant if you’re planning on staying there for a little bit before coming back._

_10:21pm_

_Me: Seriously, where are you? I’m about to come find you._

Tai’s eyebrows furrowed at the thought of you being out so late. It wasn’t a long walk from the nearest store to his house. He doubted you would go to your own little house in Patch seeing as you would always stay with him when Qrow was away.

He finished tying his shoes and made sure to grab his keys before leaving the house. A few moments later his scroll rang and his heart felt light with relief.

“(Y/N), thank gods! Where ha-” Tai’s stomach flipped as he was cut off by a foreign voice.

_“Mr. Xiao Long? This is Clearmont Medical Hospital in Patch.…”_

~~~

_Yesterday_

_11:41pm_

_7 missed calls_

_Tai: You need to come to Clearmont Hospital ASAP. It’s (Y/N)._

Tai’s simple message made chills go down Qrow’s spine and fill his belly with dread. Had you suddenly gone into labor? Did you trip and hurt yourself, or something worse? The anxiety made it hard to breathe as the black haired man furiously returned home. The mission hadn’t been completed, but by some stroke of luck he was able to pass it on to another huntsmen.

On the other hand, he cursed his luck at the current predicament. Of course he had to leave right before something disastrous, and of course it included you. Even worse, it would take at least a day to get back even if he flew. Qrow had a feeling that the rest of these few hours would be some of the worst of his life.

~~~

 _Little Bird_ _:_ _Still can’t believe I managed to catch someone as amazing as you. Can’t wait to be home. I have to go soon, love you._

_Me: I love you too! See you in a couple days._

Although the conversation was brief, it did wonders for your happiness. The smile that crept onto your face was accompanied with a warm feeling in your chest. It was always hard when your husband was gone, but these little moments made everything worth it. From teasing scroll conversations, to children, and whatever else your life may hold you were in it for the long haul.

The crisp winter air made you quicken your pace to Tai’s house. Patch didn’t have particularly cold winters, but compared to the heat and humidity of the summer it was enough to make you feel a bit cold. The falling snow and slight wind did nothing to ease that sensation either. If anything, you could appreciate the haunting beauty of the snowy night. The moonlight made the shadows just a touch darker, and the glowing snow a bit more enchanting.

Seeing as you had left about an hour ago, you pulled out your scroll to send a quick message to Tai so he wouldn’t worry. You were halfway through the text when a strange sound caught your attention. It almost sounded like a footstep. This path wasn’t commonly used, excluding the members of the Xiao Long-Rose family. Normally you wouldn’t be that afraid, but with another life on the line you were not willing to take any chances.

You quickly put away your scroll and put a hand on your weapon’s handle. The sound of another footstep made you dart your head toward the nearby woods. Suddenly a flash of light shone from the darkness, temporarily blinding you with its radiance. Before you knew it the groceries were littered on the ground and a group of people had surrounded you.

An attempt to see their faces was met with a punch in the face. Two of the people grabbed you as you stumbled back. One came at you from the front and tried to grab at your coat, but you delivered a swift kick to their groin. It was a man, as you could tell from how he went down like a bag of bricks.

A futile chuckle left you as another one of the bandits approached angrily. One of the men holding you clocked you on the side of the head, making your vision blurry and your ears ring. A flurry of voices rang out in the air, but you couldn’t decipher anything that was said. At least you knew it was three men and one woman. You hoped you would remember that once this was all over.

In a daze you reached for your weapon, but before you could land a strike a searing pain flared up in your stomach. One of them was brandishing a knife. He sliced you again and you grit your teeth in pain. With your aura depleted and immobilized in pain, the bandits had their way with you.

They dropped you to the ground and gave you a few extra kicks for good measure. A particularly hard kick to your face by the man you hit made your nose crack unnaturally. The last thing you saw was the group of bandits trifling through your belongings before you passed out.

~~~

 _“Hey, are you alright?!”_ The faint sound of voices roused you from your unconscious state.

 _  
“May, she’s bleeding…”_ No, the child…he has to make it. He can’t…

 _  
”We don’t have time for this! It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t have a license on her, we need to get her to the hospital now!”_ You tried to move, but everything hurt. You touched your abdomen, and could feel the blood sticking to your fingers. He was hurt too. A moment later your vision turned black once again.  
  


The whitewashed tiles of the hospital ceiling made you regret opening your eyes. It was chaos yet again, with strangers rushing around you and barking orders at one another. The tiles were moving, you were moving. Doors slammed opened and you felt yourself being put onto a hard surface. With a countdown from a doctor you entered another dreamless sleep.

~~~

Qrow rushed through the hospital doors as the room number the nurse told him repeated on loop. Room 207. Room 207. Room 20- left turn here. In midst of the desperation to see you, his body felt numb and his feet were moving on their own as he ran across the cold tile floors. One more hallway and Qrow would finally be reunited with you again.

He rounded the corner and finally stopped moving for the first time in three days. Taiyang sat in a nearby chair, his gaze trained on the floor and his hands limp in his lap. His usually upbeat friend looked like he had been noticeably crying, and in that moment Qrow hoped to anyone out there that you were still alive.

“Is she dying?!” Qrow couldn’t help but blurt out. Tai weakly shook his head without looking away from the ground. Qrow felt a small breath of relief leave him, but the anxiety in his stomach worsened. Why does Tai look so…defeated?

“Tai, what happened…?” he tentatively said.  
“She was ambushed by some bandits on the way back to my house. She…was hurt pretty bad,” Tai said with a crack in his voice. Qrow shifted nervously.

“Why do I feel like you’re hiding something from me?” Tai let out a sigh, and for the first time that night he looked at his friend. Qrow was shocked by the amount of anguish that swirled around in his blue eyes.

“I don’t know how to tell you the worst news you’re ever going to have to hear…I don’t want to be the one who has to tell you,” he said honestly. Before Qrow could talk, Tai waved his hand weakly at the door to your room. “You should go see her. She needs someone to be strong for her right now. I think you’ll both need each other.”

Without another word, Qrow headed straight into your room. The silence was almost deafening, save for the occasional beeps of the heart monitor. He drank in everything about you, from the fading bruises to the bandage on your nose, and last the expression on your face. You looked different than Tai had. Not angry, or sad, or helpless. You just looked…empty. He hated the way it made his heart break.

Qrow was immediately at your bedside, and although you didn’t smile he saw the slightest glimmer of life in your eyes once you noticed him. The next second his arms were around you, and you bawled into his shoulder. Even if he didn’t know what was going on, the mere waves of sorrow coming off of you were enough to make his eyes start to water.

“What…happened?” he asked slowly. You clutched at his shirt harder and only cried more. He slid in next to you in the small bed and continued to hold you as you shed your tears. Occasionally he would say how he’s always here for you, how you were still beautiful to him, and how he was happy that you were alive. After a compliment all you could choke out was a small thank you before the tears started again.

This went on for an hour until you finally ran out of tears. Your eyes were red and painfully pulsing, and your head felt like it was being squeezed. Qrow brushed your hair softly with his fingers and you melted against his chest. With a deep breath, you were finally able to speak.

“O-one of the bandits had a knife…he…h-he,” you started to shake again, and figured that the best way would be to show your husband. You shifted the blanket covering you both down a little bit and moved your loose pants to expose your abdomen. Qrow followed your movements in confusion, until he saw the cause of all of this strife. Right along your abdomen was a thick, red gash. It was bandaged, but even then he could tell a lot of damage was done.

“Our baby….our sweet little baby,” you choked out, as tears started to fall from Qrow’s eyes now. “He wasn’t able to survive the damage done to my….he’s gone.” In that moment Qrow realized that Tai was right, it was the worst news he was ever going to hear. His wife had lost their child, _he_ had lost his child before they even got the chance to live. Every thought of being a father rushed through his mind, and the crushing realization that he might never have those again almost broke him.

You saw him start to crumble, recede back into his shell, but after everything you had been through you would not let this be the end. His head fell to your chest now and he clutched you as you had clutched him, as if your life depended on it. You rubbed his back and comforted him until the sun rose. By that time you were both fast asleep next to each other, hands intertwined, and preparing to fare this rough journey together.

**Author's Note:**

> So I left a little note in My Embrace that hinted at a child before Autumn, and I really wanted to expand on that. I almost wanted to end the story off on a happier note but I wasn't sure if it fit the tone of the story. However, if you read My Embrace you know that they were able to have another child, and Autumn Branwen is very loved by both of her parents <3


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